In Our Kingdom by the Sea
by scribblingfortheheckofit
Summary: Moments of Robin and Maria after the end of the film. Because I had to give them a little more resolution, and then I just kept having ideas. Not necessarily in chronological order.
1. Precipice

She just keeps falling, and he's never quite there in time to stop her.

* * *

Maria found herself at the same cliff, where everything had begun and where it had ended, only two days after breaking the curse. She'd have gone sooner, but both Loveday and Ms. Heliotrope had been adamant about keeping her in bed. Sir Benjamin hadn't been happy about letting her leave that morning, either, but she'd insisted.

Standing by the edge again, looking out over the sea, she let her mind wander. The white horse had returned to the sea after bringing her back, though Wrolf had returned to Moonacre Manor. The Manor, when they'd returned, was polished and gleaming, and her ceiling had been covered in stars. The magic was back, she cold feel it humming in everything around her, and it drew a wistful smile onto her face.

"Maria, would you come back here?" The voice cut through her thoughts, and she turned to see Robin at the top of the staircase directly behind her. "I think you've done enough cliff diving, don't you?"

She let herself smile at his tone, teasing rather than angry, and shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't going to jump, if that's what you're thinking."

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to take chances," he said, raising one dark eyebrow, "You don't have the best history, you know? I have yet to see you stand on a precipice without falling off of it."

"You've yet to try and stop me." She stifled a laugh at how quickly his eyes snapped up to meet hers, feeling guilty as soon as she saw the confusion in his expression. "I mean, you practically dared me to jump off that wall."

He sighed and looked away. "I didn't think you'd actually do it. Nearly died on the spot when you fell." There was a moment of silence, during which he stared moodily at his boots, before he said, "It doesn't matter. Can you just come away from the edge? Please?" Another pause. "Maria, for the little sanity I have left..."

Unable to contain it any longer, Maria giggled. But she also stepped down from the cliff to the flat stone floor, and saw the relief in his eyes when she did. That didn't keep her from smirking at him, or saying in her sweetest voice, "But Robin, I thought you weren't worried about me."

"You just love to be infuriating, don't you?" he asked, as she walked over to stand next to him. "Is it your goal in life to drive everyone you know mad?"

Maria just shrugged again. "It's mostly just you," she admitted, staring out over the sea to avoid seeing him. "You're so easy to infuriate, and you take it so well. Especially since you don't hate me anymore."

"Yeah, I'm sort of reconsidering that," he said, but Maria could hear his smile in his voice. Not the smirk he always wore when he was mocking her, but a real, genuine smile.

She leaned over, reveling in the new uncertainty it caused, until her lips were just inches from his ear, and whispered, "Liar."

Robin jumped upon realizing how close she actually was, and she just smirked again while he stepped away. "You couldn't hate me if you wanted to, Robin De Noir," she said, her chin high. "You know that as well as I do."

"Why are we talking about me hating you, anyway?" he asked, ignoring her statement intentionally. "You're not the one with scars."

He waved the back of his right hand in front of her face, showing the still healing, slightly swollen scar, but Maria only rolled her eyes at him. "You're the one that attacked me," she pointed out. "And I only had a needle. You pulled a knife on me."

"So did you," he countered, and his eyes sparkled for a moment as he was caught up in the argument. "After you hung me upside down by my ankles. And told me your pet lion would probably attack me."

After sending him an exasperated look, Maria said, "Wrolf was a dog at that point. And it was the only way to make you listen to me."

Robin shrugged, smiling sideways at her. "I can't really argue with that," he said. "But wandering around in the woods, when my father was out to kill you...What if I'd decided not to help you?"

"Well, your father might have killed me," she said, turning back to the sea. "Or the moon might have. It doesn't matter. You did help me, and we saved the valley."

"We did." In the stretch of silence that followed, Robin turned to face Maria, his smile gone. She blushed when he reached out, just barely letting the tips of his fingers brush over her cheek, and found herself biting at her lower lip. "Well, you did," he corrected himself. "I almost can't believe you're really here."

For a few moments, Maria just stood there, with Robin looking down at her, his hand still hovering over her jaw. Then the moment shattered, when a startled flight of birds exploded out of the forest, causing them both to jump.

"I," Maria started to say, looking back up into unreadable eyes, "I should probably be going back. Everyone's been worried about me." Robin nodded, and she added, "I will see you again soon, right?" He nodded again, absently.

She'd taken no more than three steps towards the Manor when he caught her shoulder and pulled her back to him. Keeping the grasp he had on her shoulder, he traced her jawline with his other hand, and pushed a few auburn curls back from her face, staring straight into her eyes the whole time.

"Robin?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Are you alright?"

"I keep waiting for the sea to take you away again," he told her, as his fingers twirled a lock of hair behind her ear. "It's like if I can't see you, I can't be sure you came back at all. Like that part was just a dream."

She just rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not going anywhere."

Robin barely gave her a moment to smile reassuringly before his lips pressed against hers, and they were gone before she really knew what had happened. She blinked a few times to clear her head, before she saw him pulling back. "Maria, I'm..."

"If you say you're sorry, I will dig up the pearls again and curse you," she said, letting herself grin as his eyes widened. She kissed him before he could respond, but when they broke apart the sparks were back in his eyes.

"Well, come on," he said, shaking the slight daze out of his head. "I'll take you home. I wanted to see Loveday again anyway, and you never know what sort of bandits and plunderers you might run into."

Maria flushed even pinker, but took the hand he offered. "That sounds like an excuse."

"And so what if it is?"

He squeezed her hand before pulling her off in the direction of the Manor, and Maria just grinned, not at all worried that she had no response.


	2. Lost Lady Found

If I had wings, I would fly to my dear

* * *

There was a morning when Loveday went up to the tower room to wake Maria, and again found the bed empty. For a moment, she laughed, expecting the girl to jump out at her from behind the mantle, or step out through the secret door. After the echoes of her laughter had died away, and Maria was still nowhere in sight, her smile faltered. Five minutes later, she was collapsing into Sir Benjamin's arms in a state of panic.

"Loveday, darling, calm yourself," he said, wrapping her up in his arms even as he shooed Digweed away with a look. "What has you in such a state?"

He waited a few moments as she cried into his lapel, before she looked up at him and caught her breath enough to say, "Maria's gone."

"She's probably just gone riding, or run off with your brother again," he said, smiling a little at the thought. "Though I can't believe he'd be here this early. Loveday, please. We'll find her soon enough. Nothing to cry over."

Loveday just shook her head. "Periwinkle's still here," she choked out, burying her face in his shoulder again. "So is Wrolf. And you saw her last night. She could barely keep her eyes open at dinner."

"Maybe she's gone to visit Robin," Benjamin said, pointedly ignoring what Loveday had insinuated. He held her by her shoulders before him at arms length, locking eyes with her. "We will ride to the castle, and ask after her. Panicking will do her no good."

"I know," she said, forcing a smile. "Haven't you told her to at least leave a note when she goes out?"

Benjamin sighed and nodded once, before seeing her smile turn slightly mocking. "I have, and frequently," he said, offering his arm. "But have you ever seen her listen to me?"

Both laughing, though more to cover concern than anything else, they said an absent "Good morning," to Ms. Heliotrope, and walked out to the stables, arm in arm. Atlas and Loveday's horse, Minette, were saddled and leaving the Manor only a few minutes later. Both riders headed in the direction of the DeNoir castle without a word.

The ride was brisk, as it was one of those pleasant days that even though the sun is shining, reminds a person that winter is only a few months away. The leaves hadn't yet turned, but they knew it wouldn't be long before the forest was afire with orange and red foliage. For a few moments, even Loveday let the beauty of the valley distract her from her worries, and smiled genuinely.

When they reached the castle, they were met by a slightly confused and definitely alone Robin, who ran up to his sister and asked, without prelude, "Where's Maria? She didn't come with you?" His eyes were still laughing until Loveday turned to Sir Benjamin.

"We were hoping to find her here, actually," Benjamin said. Robin looked up at him sharply, eyes narrowed, and Benjamin could only try to keep calm as he said, "No one at the Manor has seen her yet this morning."

"So you've lost her, is that it?" the boy asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them. "She's not here. I haven't seen her in days."

Loveday reached down to hit him gently over the head, knocking his hat askew. "She missed you too, don't worry," she said, smiling knowingly as he rolled his eyes. "Are you busy today as well?"

"I wish I weren't." Robin's hand twitched towards the knife at his belt, and he looked away from the Merryweathers. "I'd be out in the forest looking if I could, but father has me overseeing most of our winter stockpiling. I'll have more time just as the weather gets bad. Tell her I'd like to see her?"

Benjamin nodded, and said, "As soon as we find her. Any ideas as to where she might have gone?"

Robin just shrugged, so they said their goodbyes and let him return to his responsibilities. Benjamin suggested they ask the villagers if they had seen her, but they had barely returned to Moonacre land before a frantic Digweed came racing towards them. "It's the missus, Sir," he said, once he caught up. "She's worked herself up into a right state. Our Miss Maria's gone missing, it seems."

"Yes, Digweed, I know," Benjamin answered crisply. "Loveday, go and tend to Ms. Heliotrope. I'll continue here. Digweed, I'm sure you've other matters to attend to."

The servant bowed quickly, before turning back to the Manor. Loveday gave her husband a long look before turning Minette back as well, leaving him to question the villagers. Upon her return, she found Ms. Heliotrope by the fireplace in hysterics.

"Oh, Loveday, dear," they older woman cried as Loveday walked through the door. "Thank goodness you've returned. It's Maria, you see. I went upstairs to bring her down for lessons, and she wasn't there! She's gone!"

Loveday just took Ms. Heliotrope by the hand, and led her over to one of the of the armchairs. After struggling for a moment to make her sit, Loveday bent down to the woman's eye level, and said, "She will be found, Ms. Heliotrope. Benjamin is out looking for her even now, and she knows her way back. You may scold her all you like when she returns, but unless you want to search on foot, there's nothing we can do."

For the rest of the day, Loveday kept Ms. Heliotrope occupied with whatever she could think of. She let the governess read her poetry, and tried not to wince and her French, and brought her anything in the Manor that might or might not have needed mending. She even praised her needlepoint. However, when Sir Benjamin walked through the door alone, more than an hour after sunset, there was nothing she could do to keep the other woman from nearly making herself ill with worry, and retiring before hearing any news.

"She hasn't come back?" he asked, his voice strained, and he breathed in deeply as Loveday shook her head. "I looked everywhere. Even went into the forest. No one has seen any sign of her."

Loveday took his hand and pulled him though to the kitchen, where Marmaduke was waiting with a dinner for him. "You did all you could," she said, concerned by the way he was avoiding her eyes. "It's not your fault."

"Tomorrow, I'm going back to the castle," he said, grinding his teeth against the words. "We need Robin. He's the only one with a chance of finding her in the forest." He finally turned to look Loveday in the eye as he said, "I only hope your father will..."

"Robin will help," Loveday assured him, smiling a little despite the circumstances. "If it were me, would you let anything keep you from searching?" Benjamin merely fixed an irritated look on her. "He'll help us. Father be damned."

The next morning, Loveday agreed to wait at the Manor with Ms. Heliotrope, who was completely beside herself, while Benjamin retuned to the DeNoir castle. Another clear day had dawned, and he was off as soon as it was light enough to ride. Atlas, as if sensing his master's stress, fairly flew though the forest.

When he rode through the gate, Robin was already running down the path to him, no questions in his expression. "Please tell me you found her," was all he said, but the fear in his eyes made Benjamin think the boy knew exactly why he was back.

"I've asked all over the village, searched every inch of Moonacre land," he said, meeting Robin's dark eyes with what he hoped was a sort of understanding. "I could ride through the forest for weeks and not find her. And that's assuming she's in plain sight."

Before he could even ask for help, Robin had turned back towards the castle and was hollering, "John, Will, take over. Tell Father whatever you have to. I'm needed elsewhere." Then he was fully back with Benjamin, asking, "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Dinner, the evening before last," he replied, taking in the dark circles under the boy's eyes. Clearly, he hadn't slept well either. "She retired early, with a headache, and the next morning her bed was empty. Does that help?"

He shrugged, his eyes drifting away as he thought. "It might," he said. "She wasn't upset about anything?"

"Not to my knowledge." Robin just nodded again, almost absently. "I'll be about," Benjamin said, "If you should need me. And Loveday is at the Manor."

Robin heard him gallop off after a minute or so of silence, but it barely registered. He took off into the forest, thinking he would start from the Moonacre border, even though he doubted Maria would have stayed that close to home and not returned.

About an hour of running later, he found a bit of white lace in one of the bushes near the cave Loveday had stayed in, and took a moment to check there. When it was empty, he returned to the bush, and started in another direction.

He gave up running in favor of a walk later in the morning, and a few hours after that, he let himself sit down on a root. Clearly, this wasn't working. He tried to think, but there was no place he could imagine her running to in the middle of the night. Other than the cliffs by the sea and the few hideouts he'd lead her to, he couldn't think of anywhere she would know of at all in the forest. He let out a frustrated hiss and pushed himself back to his feet.

It wasn't until he walked past a fallen tree, with all its roots pulled out of the ground, that another idea struck him. "No," he breathed, shocked at the thought. "No, she wouldn't have. That's ridiculous." But it was an idea, and he was unfortunately lacking in those. He took off at a jog to his right, kicking himself for forgetting.

When he found the hollow, he realized he'd also forgotten how cramped he'd been. Maria was smaller than him, and she'd had to duck her head. But he found the door easily enough, and pushed it open.

"Maria!" he cried, slouching with the relief of seeing her, lying on the dusty old bed on the other side of the room, wrapped in her nightdress and robe. "What are you doing here? Don't you know how worried we've been?"

She groaned and rolled over, but as he crossed the room he realized she was asleep. A smile touched his lips at the mess of curls and rumpled nightdress, at the leaves in her hair, and he reached out to her before he even realized what he was doing.

"Maria?" he asked, shaking her shoulder a little. "Maria, wake up. You need to go home now." She stirred, shifting about for a moment before looking up at him with bleary, half-lidded eyes. "Crazy princess," he muttered to himself, even as his smile grew wider.

"Robin?" He nodded, sitting down on the bed next to her. "Robin, I couldn't sleep there. It was too...too...Everything was clinging. I had to leave."

His eyes narrowed in confusion, but he let himself run a hand through her curls as she continued to talk. When she mentioned in passing that she was cold, he immediately shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her. When the back of his hand brushed across her forehead, he started at the heat.

"I'm going to take you home now," he said, interrupting whatever she was saying. "Is that alright, Princess?" She nodded, and he helped her put her arms into his jacket before hoisting her in his arms.

As she settled against his chest, Maria grabbed one end of the red scarf he wore, and smiled to herself. "Little Robin Redbreast," she said as she fiddled with the scarf. "Little Robin Read-Breast, sitting in a tree. Father used to tell me about you. Always running." She looked up at him curiously, and asked, "Is that why Wrolf still scares you?"

"You're delirious," he responded, much more focused on trying to get though the tiny door while carrying her. She giggled a little, and he couldn't help but smile fondly down at her as he managed to navigate the doorway the tunnel out of the tree. "Though I don't suppose that matters to you right now."

She shook her head, blinking against the sunlight as they emerged from the hollow. For a moment, he just stood, looking down at her. Then he shifted her a little bit, so she could curl up and rest her head between against his shoulder, with his too-large jacket shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun.

"Sleep, Princess," he said, as he started back towards Moonacre. "You need your rest."

She shook her head against his collarbone. "Don't want to," she said, and he rolled his eyes again. "I like talking to you too much."

"But you don't know what your saying."

"I thought I did," she said, suddenly questioning. "I was telling you why I left. Wasn't I? Robin?"

He just smiled, and said, "Go to sleep. We can talk once you're well again."

The rest of his walk back to the manor was in silence, and he heard her breathing settle into slow even breaths. Even in three layers, she was tiny for her age, and he could feel her shivering. He found himself unconsciously pulling her closer, hoping to keep her warm.

Loveday met him on the steps of the Manor, and gasped to see Maria. "She's just sleeping," he said, meeting her eyes. "But she's not well."

"Well, bring her inside," Loveday said, opening the door for him and staving off an over-anxious Ms. Heliotrope. "You know where her room is?" Robin just nodded and headed for the stairs, watching Loveday flit about and mutter about Sir Benjamin and the doctor.

Maria's own tiny doorway was another struggle, but without the distraction of her muttering nursery rhymes at him, it was much easier. He laid her down on the bed, leaving her in his jacket and the robe, and pulled the bedclothes up to her neck. He sat on one of the wave-like curves of the bed, just watching her, for a few minutes, not saying anything.

Just as he was about to leave, she stirred again, and pulled the blankets in to her chest. He smiled fondly despite himself as she blinked her eyes open again and looked up at him. "Robin, you're not leaving, are you?"

"No, Princess," he said, sitting back down almost immediately. "I'll stay if you like."

"Please?" He nodded, distracted by the way she seemed almost afraid that he _wouldn't_ stay with her. "It's been so long since I saw you."

He sighed, and when she reached out a hand, he took it, letting her pull him closer and draw his hand into the bunch of blankets. "I'm sorry," he muttered, more for himself than for her. "Father keeps giving me more and more to do."

"Poor little Robin," she said, blinking sadly at him. "Why do you keep saving me?"

The doctor walked through the door with Loveday and Sir Benjamin a moment later, and Robin hadn't answered. He'd had no answer. It was all in his mind, of course, but he kept seeing her on her knees in front of his father, falling backwards off the wall, jumping off the cliff...

She didn't let go of his hand, even when Sir Benjamin had asked him if he needed to go home. He should have said, "yes," forced her to release him, and gone. Father was going to be in a towering rage. But he'd looked down at Maria, hugging his hand as the doctor asked her questions, and shook his head, silently, resigning himself to a night of sitting in the same place.

The doctor had been speaking to Sir Benjamin as he left, and Loveday just smiled in his direction as she left him sitting there. Maria had fallen asleep again, but he leaned down to press a kiss against her hot forehead.

"If I didn't keep you around, who else would love me the way you do?"

* * *

Every house in the valley with mirth did resound,

As soon as they heard the lost Lady was found


	3. Feathers

_The sea hath its pearls_

_The heaven hath its stars_

* * *

For her sixteenth birthday, Maria wanted only her closest friends at the Manor. Ms. Heliotrope and Loveday had both asked, separately, if she was sure she didn't want a bigger party, but her answer was such a resounding "NO" that neither brought it up again. At the other end of the table, Sir Benjamin let out the breath he'd been holding, quietly enough that only Loveday saw.

Almost two weeks before the day, Robin asked her what she would want, if she could have anything. For a moment, she was confused by the question, but she put two and two together quickly enough to smile enigmatically and say, "I wouldn't know, Robin. I have everything I could ever need here at Moonacre."

"Of course you do," he replied, his sarcasm light enough that she only heard it because she'd been hoping to. "So nothing from London then? I thought, since I'm going anyway, I could bring back anything you might want."

His smirk grew the slightest bit when he saw her confusion. "When are you going to London?"

"We leave tomorrow morning," he said, shrugging his shoulders even as he wore one of his self-satisfied expressions. "And return the Wednesday after this. I asked Loveday to tell you, but of course she didn't."

Maria just rolled her eyes and said, "You should have."

"So there's nothing you want from London," he said, inflecting the statement like a question and raising his eyebrows. "You keep telling me you miss it."

"Well, unless you can pack up a theatre, or a street of shops, and bring it back with you, most of what I miss about London will have to stay in London," she said. She let herself smile a little bit at the flash of frustration in his eyes, before taking a small amount of pity on him. "Just promise you'll be back for my birthday."

He raised an eyebrow and started to say something about Wednesday next, but she cut him off and said, "Just say 'I promise.' You've done it before."

"I promise," he mimicked, placing a hand over his heart. "Do you really think I would miss my Princess's birthday?"

Maria shrugged her shoulders, took a second to let her eyes trace over him. "A word of advice," she said slowly, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Before you go. You may want to leave the feathers here."

She grinned when she looked up at his slightly affronted expression, and ran a finger down the shaft of the longest feather, pulling it downwards just enough that it snapped back up into his face.

"What's wrong with them?" Robin asked, the humor gone from his face. When Maria didn't answer immediately, he let both his eyebrows disappear under his curls and the brim of his hat, his eyes wide with frustration as she stood before him, giggling.

"Robin, when you run around in the forest all day and half the night, then there's nothing wrong with them," Maria said, holding back her laugher at the image her mind had put together. "But they would be more than a little out of place on the streets of London. I can barely imagine you in the city at all."

The boy huffed at her, but nodded before he turned to leave. "I'll be back before you even realize I'm gone," he said as he walked towards the door of the Manor, but Maria raced after him and caught his hand, twirling him around to face her.

"I'll see you before you go tomorrow, won't I?" she asked, but he shook his head.

"Father wants to leave before dawn." There was silence for a few moments before Robin sighed and said, "I'll only be gone for ten days, Maria. I will be back, and you won't even have time to miss me."

He tried for a smile, and received one equally insincere for his trouble. "What makes you think I'll miss you?" Maria asked him, in a desperate attempt to pretend she wouldn't be missing him the moment he closed the door. His grin was a little less strained after, though, so she rose up onto her toes to kiss his cheek, and said, "You better be off if you're to leave so early. You'll need your rest."

Robin nodded, and a moment later, he was gone.

Over the next ten days, Maria managed to drive nearly everyone in Moonacre Manor to the brink of insanity. There was very clearly nothing they could do, but her behavior put all her friends and family on edge. She did everything that was required of her, for her lessons and the share of household duties she had picked up since her arrival. She came to every meal, made polite conversation, and was always put together. She went for a ride every morning, the way she had since the valley had been saved.

It was Loveday that first noticed she wasn't speaking to them so much as letting words escape her lips, and the next day, Ms. Heliotrope made a fuss over how little of her meals she actually ate. No fault could be found in her work, save that she would sit for hours, mending or embroidering, without saying a word. Even Sir Benjamin commented on how far away she seemed.

They thought it would stop when the DeNoirs returned, but there was no such luck. To Loveday's immense disappointment, Robin failed to show himself before Maria's birthday, and was busy when she rode over to reprimand him.

He did appear at the party they had all put together, and for the first time in two weeks, Moonacre saw Maria's smile light up her eyes. No one was surprised, but there it was. He hung back sheepishly as his father conveyed the birthday wishes of the whole DeNoir clan, his feathers firmly in place around his neck.

When Maria finally managed to speak with him, she noticed immediately that he was hiding something. But he was Robin, she was Maria, and simply asking would be too easy. Instead, she raised an inquisitive eyebrow and asked, "So how was London?"

"As dull and dreary as I remember," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Father had business. I was bored."

Maria nodded, and started to turn away. She was about to go and speak to some of her other guests, when she paused, and turned back to him. "You didn't actually wear those, did you Robin?"

"No." He looked away, all around her, as she grinned a little. "I thought they might be a bit outlandish for the Londoners. You may have been right about that. But they're back to stay. I like them."

"So what's behind your back, then?" Maria asked, startling him. "Don't think for a moment I can't tell you're hiding something from me. What is it?"

He revealed the small white box he had with him, flat and square and tied with a slightly crumpled blue ribbon. Maria tried not to smile at the uneven bow, but Robin just grinned, and said, "You have no idea how hard it was to convince the shopkeeper to use that ribbon. She thought it was 'unsuitable'."

"It is. As is the gift itself," Maria replied. "I told you there was nothing I wanted. All I need is here in the valley."

"Just open it. You haven't got all night."

Maria cocked an eyebrow at his apparent anxiousness, but untied the bow slowly and deliberately. Just to tease him, she opened the box and folded back the tissue inside even more slowly, and smiled just a little bit more to see him biting his tongue and all but bouncing in anticipation.

Then Robin's discomfort at watching her meant little to nothing, as she saw the string of pearls sitting in the pale blue tissue.

Her eyes went wide, and she could feel her cheeks heating up, but she didn't care. She had pearls. Robin had given her pearls. Non-magical pearls.

"Apparently, they're the latest fashion," Robin said, pulling her back to the party around her. "And you, well, misplaced the other ones, so I thought... I'm sorry, this was a bad idea, I knew it. I've upset you, and I... Never mind."

He made a grab for the box, but Maria pulled it close, her eyes sparking again. "What have I said about apologizing for nice things?"

"Don't?"

Maria just nodded, then looked down at the pearls again, and at the dark blue of her gown. "May I wear them?"

"They are yours, aren't they?" he asked in reply, before he pulled his smirk back into place and said, "I could help, if you want." He didn't expect her to nod again.

When Sir Benjamin cut in an hour later, so that he might have one dance with his niece, he had to all but pry her away from the boy. For a moment, he was surprised to see the pearls around her neck, but if he was honest, there was nothing to be surprised about. It was both a terrible and wonderful gift, and one that only Robin DeNoir could have gotten away with. He just smiled and said, "You do have other gifts to receive, you know."

"I've been otherwise occupied, Uncle," she said, pushing down her grin as she spoke. "Is this not a party? I shall have time for gifts when I tire of dancing."

Benjamin nodded, pretending to accept it. There was a moment's pause, during which he saw her looking rather obviously over his shoulder, before he asked, in a lower voice, "He's forgiven, then?"

"Who's forgiven?" A pause stretched between them, during which Maria realized just how obvious her feelings had been, and Benjamin tried to keep from laughing. "How could he not be? He's Robin."

"Of course." Benjamin nearly stumbled, he was so focused on containing his amusement.

Maria looked up at him with a sly smile just as their dance ended, and said, "Loveday forgave you, didn't she?" With that, she left her uncle to be rescued by his wife, and was swept away into yet another dance with Robin.

* * *

_But my heart, my heart_

_My heart hath its love_


End file.
